Welded steel door frame systems are widely used in the construction of commercial buildings. These welded steel door frames are known for their high-strength, long service life, and one-piece finished appearance. Non-welded steel frame door systems are known to be used in the commercial construction industry as well, such as knocked down or multi-pieced designs, but such designs are not perceived as delivering the same value and benefits as a welded steel door frame system.
The installation of these welded steel door frame systems is labor intensive and driven by a complex logistics process. For instance, the design and construction of a typical one-piece steel door frame requires the door frame to be installed during the process of constructing the walls of the building which surround the door frame. As a result, the installation of the steel door frame must take place well in advance of the installation of the associated doors and door hardware. Because the steel door frames are installed early in the construction process, the steel door frames are susceptible to damage from construction activities taking place in and around the door openings.
In addition, the installation of a steel door frame typically requires multiple steps. That is, the steel door frames must first be assembled and installed, and then the associated doors are subsequently installed with their respective hardware. This typically requires several deliveries to the construction site due to the multiple component nature of the door frames and the associated door and hardware. Due to the weight of the door frame and the associated door, as well as the complexity of assembling the door frame and the associated door, the installation of the door frame and the door typically requires at least two laborers and multiple trips to and from the door opening to acquire and install the necessary components. Such installations are therefore inefficient and undesirable in the building industry.
As previously noted, there are typically a number of components involved in assembling the steel door frame, as well as the associated door and hardware. Thus, the site logistics for such components can be difficult, as the frames are often delivered to the job site in large quantities and have to be stored on site where storage space is typically limited. Often such components are moved numerous times prior to the installation of the door frame and associated door and hardware, thereby subjecting the components to possible damage and loss. This, of course, creates further inefficiencies that are undesirable in the building industry.
In light of these problems and inefficiencies with installing steel door frames and their associated doors and hardware, it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus for mounting a steel door frame to a doorway in a building that reduced the total project costs, shortened construction lead times, improved installed quality, and created more efficient site logistics to increase the efficiency of installing such steel door frames.